Publications by authors named "Elena Agostini"

We studied the application of CT texture analysis in adrenal incidentalomas with baseline characteristics of benignity that are highly suggestive of adenoma to find whether there is a correlation between the extracted features and clinical data. Patients with hormonal hypersecretion may require medical attention, even if it does not cause any symptoms. A total of 206 patients affected by adrenal incidentaloma were retrospectively enrolled and divided into non-functioning adrenal adenomas (NFAIs, n = 115) and mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS, n = 91).

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Deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) algorithms employ convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for CT image reconstruction to produce CT images with a very low noise level, even at a low radiation dose. The aim of this study was to assess whether the DLIR algorithm reduces the CT effective dose (ED) and improves CT image quality in comparison with filtered back projection (FBP) and iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithms in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. We identified all consecutive patients referred to the ICU of a single hospital who underwent at least two consecutive chest and/or abdominal contrast-enhanced CT scans within a time period of 30 days using DLIR and subsequently the FBP or IR algorithm (Advanced Modeled Iterative Reconstruction [ADMIRE] model-based algorithm or Adaptive Iterative Dose Reduction 3D [AIDR 3D] hybrid algorithm) for CT image reconstruction.

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  • Injectable cabotegravir/rilpivirine (ICAB/RPV) has recently become available for HIV treatment, and this study aimed to evaluate its impact on sleep disturbances in patients who switched to this therapy.
  • A total of 46 individuals participated, and they were assessed for sleep quality before and 12 weeks after starting ICAB/RPV using various sleep questionnaires; the demographic data and health records were also analyzed.
  • Results showed no significant changes in sleep disturbance scores, although 37% reported feeling their sleep quality improved, indicating that switching to ICAB/RPV might have minimal negative effects on sleep despite previous concerns.
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  • Clinical trials showed that dolutegravir and lamivudine (DTG/3TC) are effective and safe for people living with HIV, but there’s a lack of long-term data for individuals aged 65 and older.
  • A study involving 112 participants aged 65 and above found that most had multimorbidity, and after switching to DTG/3TC, there were no significant changes in health parameters over a 6-year follow-up.
  • The study concluded that DTG/3TC is safe and effective for older adults with HIV, maintaining a high rate of undetectable viral loads and a low rate of treatment discontinuations due to side effects or virological failure.*
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Recently, a benefit from administration of a 3-day course of early remdesivir (ER) in the outpatients' setting was reported. However, real-life data on its use is scarce. Therefore, we explored the ER clinical outcome in our outpatients' s cohort, compared to untreated controls.

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Radiomics is a promising research field that combines big data analysis (from tissue texture analysis) with clinical questions. We studied the application of CT texture analysis in adrenal pheochromocytomas (PCCs) to define the correlation between the extracted features and the secretory pattern, the histopathological data, and the natural history of the disease. A total of 17 patients affected by surgically removed PCCs were retrospectively enrolled.

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Background: RT-PCR on nasopharyngeal (NPS)/oropharyngeal swabs is the gold standard for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection and viral load monitoring. Oral fluid (OF) is an alternate clinical sample, easy and safer to collect and could be useful for COVID-19 diagnosis, monitoring viral load and shedding.

Methods: Optimal assay conditions and analytical sensitivity were established for the commercial Simplexa™ COVID-19 Direct assay adapted to OF matrix.

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  • The diagnostic process for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) involves identifying specific genetic markers, particularly the t(15;17) translocation and PML-RARA transcript using tests like RQ-PCR and RT-PCR, with results typically available in 3-6 hours.
  • Two novel rapid assays utilizing RT-QLAMP technology were developed to detect PML-RARA transcripts directly from RNA, allowing for simultaneous amplification and detection in a single tube, achieving results in just 16 minutes for various transcript types.
  • RT-QLAMP shows high sensitivity and accuracy in identifying transcript types, making it a valuable tool for diagnosing APL, outperforming traditional methods like RQ-PCR for initial diagnosis while reserving them for ongoing disease monitoring.
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Despite the immunologic functions of T-cell receptor signaling molecules being extensively investigated, their potential as immunohistochemical markers has been poorly explored. With this background, we evaluated the expression of 5 intracellular proteins-GADS, DOK2, SKAP55, ITK, and PKCα-involved in T-cell receptor signaling in normal and neoplastic hematologic tissue samples, using antibodies raised against fixation-resistant epitopes of the 5 molecules. All 5 antibodies were associated with normal T-cell differentiation.

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Until today, JAK2 alterations have been mainly associated with myeloid malignancies among which they play a key pathogenic role in chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms. More recently, aberrations involving the JAK2 gene have also been reported in lymphoid diseases, including acute leukemia and lymphomas. In addition, the constitutively activating JAK2V617F mutation has been identified in some patients affected by B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia with a concomitant myeloproliferative neoplasm.

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Protein fragment complementation assay (PCA) is based on the interaction between two protein partners (e.g. target antigen and antibody), which are genetically fused to the two halves of a dissected marker protein.

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